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Tortola boat captain sentenced for entering the U.S. illegally

Unites States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced Friday that Juwon Potter, 25, of Tortola, BVI was sentenced to one-year probation and ordered to pay $2,000 for illegally entering the United States. Potter was tried for destruction of evidence, illegally bringing in an undocumented noncitizen, and illegally entering the United States. Photo: VI Consortium
VI CONSORTIUM

ST. THOMAS, USVI — Unites States Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced Friday that Juwon Potter, 25, of Tortola, BVI was sentenced to one-year probation and ordered to pay $2,000 for illegally entering the United States. Potter was tried for destruction of evidence, illegally bringing in an undocumented noncitizen, and illegally entering the United States.

According to court documents and evidence presented a trial, Potter was stopped by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Marine Interdiction Agents (MIA) and a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) during marine patrol of the waters between St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands and Norman Island, British Virgin Islands. Potter was the captain of a vessel traveling away from Coral Bay, St. John just before dusk. Potter could not produce any personal identification or documentation for his vessel, nor could he explain his presence in U.S. waters.

Potter indicated that he was returning to the British Virgin Islands and drifted into U.S. waters when his vessel had engine trouble. During the vessel inspection, he was asked if he had a phone.

Potter unlocked his phone and handed it to the agents. Upon examining the phone, the HSI special agent observed a Whatsapp text message exchange between the defendant and an unknown individual. In the text exchange, the agent saw photos of two males and a message sent from the defendant stating, “just the two men?” and “send 2000 WU to Juwon Potter.” The defendant was arrested for alien smuggling.

An agent placed the defendant’s phone on a workbench attached to the center console of the CBP vessel. The defendant was in the act of being moved to a seat behind the workbench in order to return to shore when he lunged for the phone and threw it overboard.

The agent heard a splash and saw the phone’s illuminated screen sink beneath the surface of the water. Subsequent to the defendant’s arrest, CBP agents detained an undocumented noncitizen male matching the photo (wearing the same clothes) that the agent saw on the defendant’s phone.

A federal jury acquitted Potter of destruction of evidence and alien smuggling and returned a guilty verdict for illegally entering the United States.

This case was investigated by HSI and CBP and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.

 

 

15 Responses to “Tortola boat captain sentenced for entering the U.S. illegally”

  • bvibuzz (04/12/2021, 13:49) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    The fed don’t play tall
  • Just Wow! (04/12/2021, 14:02) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Now I am wondering just how many of our young men are into this human smuggling business. Less of a scourge than drugs I guess, but this is worrying.
  • I guess (04/12/2021, 14:29) Like (13) Dislike (1) Reply
    He will kool he lil rude arse out now
    • @ i guess (04/12/2021, 17:30) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      Sure do, he better not put his right toe in USVI WATERS AGAIN. He get caught again, he will be spending time in THE USVI PRISON SYSTEM.
  • WU (04/12/2021, 14:53) Like (1) Dislike (5) Reply
    Western …

    Times hard …
  • Tongue Fu (04/12/2021, 15:39) Like (18) Dislike (0) Reply
    Looks like he got away on the lesser charge of illegal entry and just a fine. Very fortunate cause if he intentionally threw the phone over board then he should have been found guilty of destruction of evidence and that evidence was crucial in the smuggling charge.
  • hmmm (04/12/2021, 16:42) Like (10) Dislike (1) Reply
    sound like he snitch if u ask me got off to easy dem boy got the phone man
  • vi (04/12/2021, 16:54) Like (2) Dislike (5) Reply
    What phone they have no evidence that he had a phone
  • WOW (04/12/2021, 17:50) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    another z6ne man again?
  • uh (04/12/2021, 18:30) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    @ vi right now u sound like an iodit read and understand please
  • Lucky (04/12/2021, 20:03) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    He got off pretty lightly IMHO
  • Cut deep (04/12/2021, 21:31) Like (2) Dislike (4) Reply
    Just go to C.***y! she can get all charges drop. period.
  • Uh huh (05/12/2021, 00:30) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    They flipped this guy. Let him off wayyyyyy to easy. He ratting everyone now I bet.
  • Linda (06/12/2021, 11:05) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Many years ago i was waiting west end to go to st john. I saw a small boat come from st john, drop a man off here and went back. I didn't think anything of it. Now i realize the boat or passenger never cleared immigration. Wow right in our face.


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